Our Top 10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Songs list introduces us to an American rock band known for their extensive charity and wonderful Holiday concerts. Lyricist, composer, and producer Paul O’Neill brought together former members of Savatage Al Pitrelli and Jon Oliva and keyboardist Robert Kinkel to form Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 1996. Paul O’Neill had quite a successful run with other bands managing and producing for notable names such as The Scorpions, Aerosmith, and AC/DC. The formation of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra followed acceptance of Atlantic Records’ request to have O’Neill start his own band. Trans-Siberian Orchestra would be built on the foundation forged through the marriage of classical and rock music with inspiration from top artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
As revealed by Paul O’Neill, the band’s original concept was six rock operas, a trilogy about Christmas, and probably an album or two. Without hesitation, the band released their debut album Christmas Eve and Other Stories, which to date is one of their best-selling albums. The success of their debut album prompted them to make even more releases that built even more success for the band. Trans-Siberian Orchestra has since their first tour donated over ten million dollars to tons of charities thanks to a dollar minimum per ticket donation they subscribed to.
Good deeds never go unnoticed or probably unpaid! Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been one of the few bands to go straight to arenas and theatres without ever playing at a club or performed an opening act. The band takes pride in nine studio albums, all of which have gained traction over the years, making the band one of the most reputable rock genres. However, the band has not been really active in releasing full studio albums ever since O’Neill passed away. Our list of the top 10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs looks at the best releases from this iconic band who capitalized on Christmas, hard rock, and neo-classical metal music genres.
#10 – Winter Palace
Ushering us to the top 10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs is the ballad “Winter Palace” from the band’s 2012 album, Dreams of Fireflies. The song is one of Paul O’Neill’s almost perfect poems pieced up to develop this sublime seasonal song. “Winter Palace” strikes a balance between a perfect heavy metal song infused with sublime classical vibes. The instrumental to the song is built on an almost perfect main riff making its melody a masterpiece.
#9 – Faith Noel
You need to dust off your dislike for Christmas rock thanks to the sublime songs such as “Faith Noel” from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Featured on the band’s 2004 album, The Lost Christmas Eve, “Faith Noel” is one of the perfect Christmas songs you’ll ever listen to. If asked for a wish about this song, it is to have Pentatonix perform their version of “The First Noel” on the instrumental of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Faith Noel.”
#8 – Siberian Sleigh Ride
Trans-Siberian Orchestra has by far placed themselves above the competition owing to their awe-inspiring instrumentation for all their releases. “Siberian Sleigh Ride” almost hooks you to an imaginary ride where your heart beats to the tune of the song! This song’s rock and roll vibe is undeniable, thanks to the powerful guitar riffs that bring the best of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s rock skills. You can tell that the band members come from a deep rock and roll history with the catchy song “Siberian Sleigh Ride.” The song’s title might just have reminded us about the connection between the band’s name with the Trans-Siberian railway.
#7 – Requiem (The Fifth)
“Requiem (The Fifth)” is by far one of the most emotion-filled perfect ballet dance songs that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra ever released. You can almost feel the emotions with every beat of the song, thanks to the sublime work of Paul O’Neill and his skilled team. “Requiem (The Fifth)” brings life to the band’s album Beethoven’s Last Night, adding to it some rare emotion-filled sparkle unseen in most of their songs.
#6 – O’ Come All Ye Faithful/O’ Holy Night
You can almost wish for the Christmas season to edge closer the moment you listen to this hit. Featured on the band’s album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the ballad “O’ Come to All Ye Faithful/O’ Holy Night” features an authentic tone thanks to its awe-inspiring instrumentation. The song adds to the timeless Christmas songs that absolutely spread the love bigger than your words might even utter! Nostalgia is all that you feel when you first listen to this song.
#5 – A Mad Russian’s Christmas
“A Mad Russian’s Christmas” starts with some uplifting piano beats that are more than melodic. The beat later progresses to some purely Christmas vibe infused with some hard rock feel, bringing in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra trademark of infusing different music genres to yield unique sound for their songs. The song adds quite some glamour and Christmas vibe to the 1996 album by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christmas Eve, and Other Stories.
#4 – Wizards in Winter
Featured on the band’s 2004 album The Lost Christmas Eve, “Wizards in Winter” is another instrumental Christmas season from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. While there are not many modern orchestral Christmas works, this song has endured showing on radio playlists every winter. “Wizards in Winter” became even more popular following its use for the Miller Lite beer commercial in 2005.
#3 – Carols of the Bells
Number three in our top 10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs is “Carols of the Bells.” The song was originally known by many as a reputable Ukrainian folk chant about spring. However, its better day dawned after Trans-Siberian Orchestra did the song featuring an electric guitar-infused adaptation which made it stand out! “Carols of the Bells” remains to be one of the best Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs ever released.
#2 – Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24
Featured on the band’s debut album Christmas Eve and Other Stories, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” originated from Savatage’s 1995 album Dead Winter Dead. It would become a crucial hit for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, helping the band gain popularity with its release on the debut album. The song was a number one hit in more than 500 radio stations peaking at number 29 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.
#1 – Christmas Canon
Number one of our top 10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs is the hit “Christmas Canon” from the band’s 1998 album The Christmas Attic. The song’s base is Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D major. Trans-Siberian Orchestra composed some new lyrics and melodies for this song with the piano and strings for a unique traditional sound. While the marriage between classical music and rock proves to be tough, this feels like HTML code for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, whose skills here are way above the competition.
Feature Photo at top of page: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Trans Siberian Orchestra Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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